Fact Check: Fever needs proper medication, care; laxity can prove fatal

Hyderabad: A post has gone viral on social media advising people to avoid taking paracetamol and other medication during fever.

Fact check

NewsMeter found the claim to be false.

Is paracetamol safe?

Paracetamol or Acetaminophen is available alone in single-ingredient products and also combined with other medicines in products used to treat colds, coughs, allergies, pain, and sleeplessness.

Yes, according to a study, “It's safe to take paracetamol regularly for many years, as long as you do not take more than the recommended dose.” Moreover, FDA warns that 'rare but serious skin reactions with the pain reliever/fever reducer acetaminophen'.

It should be noted that the side effects are very rare and cause only if you take an overdose of the drug than prescribed.

Why do we get a fever?

A fever is a sudden rise in body temperature that is higher than normal. It usually means there is an abnormal process occurring in the body. There could be other reasons behind the rise in temperature as well. A fever is not an illness by itself. Rather it is a symptom of a bacterial, viral infection or a reaction from an allergy to food or medicine. Becoming overheated at play or in the sun can also result in fever.

According to Hopkins Medicine, normal body temperature ranges from 97.5°F to 98.9°F (36.4°C to 37.2°C). It tends to be lower in the morning and higher in the evening. Most healthcare providers consider a fever to be 100.4°F (38°C) or higher. High fevers may cause seizures or confusion in children. It's not how high the temperature is, but how fast the temperature goes up that causes a seizure.

Simply resting might increase consequences in this case.

Temperature and fever might subside in 2-3 days but if the temperature continues to rise, in rare cases it might prove fatal.

Some prominent symptoms of fever are-

• Flushed face

• Hot, dry skin

• Low output of urine, or dark urine

• Not interested in eating

• Constipation or diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Headache

• Aching all over

• Nausea

Whereas severe symptoms include seizures, nausea, confusion, stiff neck, irregular breathing, vomiting, and diarrhea.

How to treat a fever?

An article in Harvard Education suggests: “By itself, fever is usually harmless, though a high fever can be miserable.”

These steps may help you feel better:

Drink plenty of fluids to help cool your body and prevent dehydration.

Eat light foods that are easy to digest.

Get plenty of rest.

Take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or others), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, or others), or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to help relieve head and body aches and lower your temperature.

Take a slightly warm (not cool) bath, or apply damp washcloths to the forehead and wrists.

Caution: Don’t give Paracetamol to infants under the age of 2 months.

Hence, it is evident that Paracetamol is a relatively safe drug if taken as per doctor's prescription.